DONALD TRUMP BOOED DURING NEW YORK DINNER, BLASTED BY OBAMA
‘NO JOKING MATTER’ His refusal to commit to verdict provokes president’s ire
NEWYORK:Donald Trump endured boos at a charity event in New York and a biting attack by President Barack Obama as the Republican nominee’s threat not to concede if he loses next month’s elections roiled the race for the White House.
Trump cast the US into uncharted political waters by suggesting he may not recognise the result of the November 8 presidential election and could launch a legal challenge if Hillary Clinton wins. “Of course I will accept a clear election result, but I will also reserve my right to contest and file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result,” the Republican nominee told supporters in Ohio.
Trump later was booed at a white-tie fundraiser for Catholic charities in New York where he and Clinton, fresh off their bruising final debate in Las Vegas, took part in what was supposed to be a friendly roast.
But the bitterness of the campaign was soon on display, with Trump calling Clinton “corrupt” and jabbing her for disclosures from her campaign’s hacked emails. “Here she is in public, pretending not to hate Catholics,” he said, as Cardinal Timothy Doland of New York looked on.
“I don’t know who they’re angry at, Hillary, you or I,” Trump said in an attempt to brush off the ensuing flurry of boos from New York’s elite.
Clinton in turn slung a zinger at Trump’s penchant for judging women harshly based on their appearance. “People look at the Statue of Liberty and they see a proud symbol of our history as a nation of immigrants, a beacon of hope around the world,” she said.
“Donald looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a four.”
Clinton also took a jab at Trump’s perceived closeness with Russian President Putin when she brought up Trump’s concerns during the election campaign over her health.
“Donald really is as healthy as a horse, you know the one Vladimir Putin rides around on,” she said, a reference to a famous picture of a bare-chested Putin riding his horse.
She also said that there were no teleprompters at the dinner, which was good since such devices “are hard to keep up with and even harder when you are translating from the original Russian”.
Trump is trailing badly in the polls, and his performance debate opened him up to a stinging attack from Obama at a rally in Miami.
“When you try to sow the seeds of doubt in people’s minds about the legitimacy of our election, that undermines our democracy,” Obama said.
“When you suggest rigging or fraud without a shred of evidence, when last night at the debate, Trump becomes the first major party nominee in American history to suggest that he will not concede despite losing... that is not a joking matter.”
The unusually harsh comments suggest the White House believes this deeply rancorous election is not just about defeating Trump or winning back control of Congress, but snuffing out his populist credo.
People look at the Statue of Liberty and see a proud symbol of our history as a nation of immigrants... Donald looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a four. HILLARY CLINTON, Democratic presidential nominee